Tuatara Lounge

The Tuatara lounge is designed for extensional learning for 4 - 6 year olds in an old villa offering rooms of discovery and opportunity. Three teacher's support the lounge with a teaching ratio of 1:8. The true strength of the Tuatara Lounge lies in the collaboration of learners not in the knoweldge of one expert.... A space where children are empowered and actively invovled in making decisions that relate to their day.

Valuing and Respecting Strengths, Interests and Cultural Diversity of ALL

Listening to the children and valuing the kete of knowledge they bring to the lounge is recognised as important. We celebrate and are very mindful of the unique individual strengthes, interests and diversities that are present within our environment, making sure connectedness is felt and naturally interwoven into our daily practice. This is achieved through active collaboration and partnership with families ensuring they too are involved with decisions relating to their child.

Tuatara's Culture

Fostering a culture of respect, gratitude and mindfulness with our tamariki. Embracing learning in our communty and celebrating the gifts of papatuanuku - our weekly bush adventures are truly treasured moments.  We value all our families/whanau and for them entrusting us with their precious taonga.  
​Play, wonder and discovery is the children's work.

A Communicative Team
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As a team we openly share ideas and are receptive to the ideas of others and those of the tamariki.  Role modelling postive practices ensuring children foster an understanding and value for the improtance of communication, and collaboration.  We believe creating harmonious relationships and working towards a common goal allows us to provide the best possible learning environment for all tamariki.

Supporting confident and independent children

We encourage the children to develop a 'I Can' attitude - learning through doing and developing skills that allow them to become independent.  We provide a supportive and encouraging culture that allows children to celebrate success and not give up if they do not succeed at first.  We value the tuakana teina role (guiding the way) and encourage our tamariki to share their skills and strengths with their peers. 

Creating a love for learning
Educated teachers love to support the passion, spark of interests and smiles of the tamariki as they observe them exploring, discovering and wondering about the world around them.  We allow children to have agency over their own learning and value their discoveries and contribution.  We believe their play is the work of the tamariki and embrace the opportunities to follow their lead.

Weaving Te Whariki

The early childhood curriculum 'Te Whariki' maps who we are as a Tuatara Whanau, embedding the strands and principles of our practice. 
We support this quote from Te Whariki and value and uphold this in practice "competent and confident leaerns, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knoweldge that they make a valued contribution to society".
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